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The true story behind who put the ‘x’ in Xmas!
The Times of India ^ | Dec 23, 2015 | Ketakee Gondane

Posted on 12/29/2015 5:23:37 PM PST by Coleus

Whether it's giving gifts or munching on candy canes, everyone loves Christmas traditions, but few people know how or where these customs came from.

Find out the surprising, funny and even nothing-to-do with-Jesus roots of these common Christmas traditions.

Why's it called Xmas? It's a short form we've all used on greeting cards when we didn't have enough space, but few people know why 'x' is a good substitute for 'Christ' in 'Christmas'. Turns out, the Greek letter 'chi' is written as 'x' and is the first letter of the word 'Christ' in Greek. While the use of the word dates back to the 1550s, today it's often used erroneously as a non-religious name for the holiday by supposedly removing the 'Christ' from 'Christmas'.

What's with the Candy cane's stripes? It is widely held that the red and white colours of this treat are meant to represent the blood that Christ shed, and his purity, respectively. Moreover, their 'J' shape is symbolic of the shepherd's staff. Whether or not the sweets were made with this intent, the belief is so widely accepted that today, several US sweet manufacturers even make candy canes with three white stripes to represent the holy trinity.

Why is mistletoe a smooching symbol? Mistletoe makes an appearance in various old cultures, including marriage ceremonies in ancient Greece and as a symbol of reconciliation between warriors of the Roman Empire. However, it is the Norse tradition of the goddess Frigga kissing everyone who walked under the mistletoe after her dead son was brought back to life that is most commonly associated with the tradition today. Ironically, mistletoe, thought to ward off evil spirits and help with fertility and love, is actually poisonous to humans.

What did Snowmen start out as? As the name suggests, snowmen are generally... well... men. However, scholars widely hold that due to their curvy shape, snowmen actually started out as 'snowwomen'. They were supposed to depict the ideal female form before eventually becoming the lumpy effigies we've come to associate with Christmas.

Why deck the halls with Holly? While holly features in many Christmas carols and is an integral part of the season's decorations, its origins aren't are festive as one might think. Not only are prickly holly leaves meant to symbolise the crown Christ wore when he got crucified, its red cherries also represent his blood. Long before Christmas traditions, holly was also used as decoration in homes because it stayed green through the year - a quality that led some cultures to believe the plant had magical properties.

What does Santa have to do with it? While the tradition of giving gifts dates back to the Magi, the figure of Santa Claus was nowhere around when Jesus was born. He stems from Saint Nicholas (called 'Sinterklaas' in Dutch, which was later watered down to 'Santa Claus'), who apparently gave up his wealth to provide three women with dowries in the fourth century. While the jolly version of Father Christmas, who gives presents to good kids, is almost universally accepted, many cultures to this day have folklore about his evil twin who punishes the bad children.


TOPICS: Religion
KEYWORDS: christinchristmas; christmas; holly; origins; waronchristmas; xmas
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1 posted on 12/29/2015 5:23:38 PM PST by Coleus
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To: Coleus

I do get the urge to berate people who mistake holly for mistletoe. Especially in artwork.


2 posted on 12/29/2015 5:25:21 PM PST by Crazieman (Article V or National Divorce. The only solutions now.)
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To: Crazieman
but few people know why 'x' is a good substitute for 'Christ' in 'Christmas'

I just figured it was part of the war on Christmas. Let's just X out, as in delete Christ from the Holiday. It's not a notation I use and haven't in many years now.

3 posted on 12/29/2015 5:35:33 PM PST by Malsua
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To: Coleus

I’ve heard this before but still write “Christmas” and chide folks who don’t.


4 posted on 12/29/2015 5:35:46 PM PST by PROCON (It's not islamophobia, it's islamonausea.)
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To: Coleus

>>>(called ‘Sinterklaas’ in Dutch, which was later watered down to ‘Santa Claus’

I always suspected (and still do) that it comes from the German “Sankt Ni-klaus”, which when spoken at normal speed, sounds almost like “santni claus.”


5 posted on 12/29/2015 6:00:18 PM PST by XEHRpa
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To: Coleus

How about we start calling the bogus holiday “X-zaa”?


6 posted on 12/29/2015 6:09:32 PM PST by crusty old prospector
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To: crusty old prospector

Sounds like a skin disease ;’}


7 posted on 12/29/2015 6:24:20 PM PST by rockrr (Everything is different now...)
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To: Coleus
While the jolly version of Father Christmas, who gives presents to good kids, is almost universally accepted, many cultures to this day have folklore about his evil twin who punishes the bad children.


8 posted on 12/29/2015 6:42:05 PM PST by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
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To: Coleus

I was told the “x” stood for the Cross.


9 posted on 12/29/2015 6:48:16 PM PST by ncpatriot
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To: Coleus

But, but...the pagans!


10 posted on 12/29/2015 7:06:07 PM PST by Mr. Blond
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To: Coleus

Don’t care about what an ancient language might mean. An “X” is not “Christ”.


11 posted on 12/29/2015 7:50:00 PM PST by Chauncey Gardiner
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To: Malsua

The X is from the Greek letter Chi which is the first letter of the Greek word for ‘Christ.’
If it’s “an attempt to take Christ out of Christmas”, it’s been going on since the 16th century in that its first usage “Xmas” was about the time of Henry VIII.
You noobs are as thick as ticks tonight. Lighten up. Xmas is over.


12 posted on 12/29/2015 8:20:28 PM PST by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives.)
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To: Talisker; MinuteGal

“While the jolly version of Father Christmas, who gives presents to good kids, is almost universally accepted, many cultures to this day have folklore about his evil twin who punishes the bad children.”

This must be where getting a lump of coal in your stocking comes from, Santa’s evil twin.


13 posted on 12/29/2015 8:35:09 PM PST by flaglady47 (TRUMP ROCKS)
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To: Chauncey Gardiner
Μερρι Χριστμας
14 posted on 12/29/2015 8:49:49 PM PST by Pelham (Muslim immigration...the enemy is inside the wire.)
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To: PROCON

Yeah, but how many boxes to you have in the attic with an X on them?


15 posted on 12/29/2015 9:06:24 PM PST by Rebelbase
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To: IncPen

I always thought the Xmas thing was Hallmark saving on ink, back when ink was a consideration


16 posted on 12/29/2015 10:02:37 PM PST by Nailbiter
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To: Coleus

Well just dang. And all this time I thought it was we in the advertising business doing our usual short hand.


17 posted on 12/29/2015 11:53:44 PM PST by Liberty Valance (Keep a Simple Manner for a Happy Life :o)
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To: tumblindice
noobs

Noob? LOL. If I'm a noobie, you're a super noobie.

18 posted on 12/30/2015 2:29:36 AM PST by Malsua
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To: Nailbiter

I always thought it was laziness, or disrespect, of the correspondent. Who knew?


19 posted on 12/30/2015 6:18:07 AM PST by IncPen (Not one single patriot in Washington, DC.)
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To: Malsua; tumblindice

Noobs?


20 posted on 12/30/2015 6:19:11 AM PST by IncPen (Not one single patriot in Washington, DC.)
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